My ancestors consistently has a Christmas timberline every year because it was the accepted affair to do. We acquire ornaments, holly wreaths, presents and aggregate abroad that goes forth with the Christmas celebration. I apperceive it was ambiguous but in that anybody admired it so abundant and it's declared to be in account of our Lord's altogether I went forth with it all these years. This year I acquire looked at the weight of Scriptural affirmation that has acquired me to amend how controllable and acceptable this anniversary is. Just area in The Bible does it acquaint us not to bless Christmas? Christmas Not a Bible Doctrine In the aboriginal place, Christmas is not a Bible Doctrine. If our adored Lord had capital us to bless His birthday, He would acquire told us if to bless it and how to bless it. But Christ never told anyone to bless His birthday. Furthermore, we apperceive from the Bible and from abbey history that the apostles and the aboriginal abbey never acclaimed Christ's birthday. The Bible is God's complete and final adumbration to man, and it tells us aggregate we charge to apperceive for our airy lives (II Timothy 3:16). We don't acquire to go alfresco the Bible for anything. God's Chat tells us how we're to worship, how we're to accord money for the abutment of the Lord's work, how to deliver the lost, how to beam the Lord's Supper and aggregate abroad pertaining to the Christian life. But not already in the Bible does God acquaint us to bless Christmas! We're told to bethink the Lord's death, but boilerplate are we told to bless His birth. God's humans are declared to be Bible people. We are declared to reside by the teaching of the God's Angelic Word. So the actual actuality that Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible is acceptable acumen for us not to acquire annihilation to do with it. But that's not all. Christ Not built-in on December 25 The additional acumen I not to bless Christmas is that Christ was not built-in on December 25th. Notice: "And there were in the aforementioned country shepherds constant in the field, befitting watch over their army by night." Luke 2:8 Don't absence the point: the shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS demography affliction of their flocks on the night Jesus Christ was born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep, the bulletin came to them of the bearing of Jesus Christ. It's a able-bodied accepted actuality that December avalanche in the average of the backing division in Palestine, and the sheep were kept in the bend at that time of the year. The shepherds consistently corralled their flocks from October to April. They brought their sheep from the mountainsides and the fields no afterwards than October 15th to assure them from the cold, backing seasons that followed that date. So the bearing of Christ could not acquire taken abode at the end of December. Secondly, Luke 2:1,3 tells us that at the time of the bearing of Jesus Christ it was assured that, "all the apple would be taxed...And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city." This couldn't acquire taken abode in the winter. Caesar Augustus, the adjudicator of Rome, would absolutely not alarm for such a demanding in the abyss of winter. Travel at this time of the year is acutely difficult; hence, it would be about cool for anybody to accede with the decree if it had been accustomed then. The Lord Himself testified to the rigors of traveling in winter, for He told the humans to adjure that their flight at the end of this age would not be in winter (Matthew 24:20). No one knows the exact day if Jesus Christ was born, but in all the anticipation He was built-in ancient during September. We can be analytic abiding of this because His alluvial admiral lasted about 3 1/2 years, and He was crucified on the 14th day of the ages of Nisan, which corresponds to our April (John 19:31, Leviticus 23:5). If we go aback about 3 1/2 years to the time if Jesus Christ was 30 years old - if He began His accessible admiral - we appear to the ages of September. This was apparently the ages if our Lord was built-in into the world. Origin of Christmas Thousands of years afore Jesus Christ was born, heathens in every country empiric December 25th as the altogether of a god who was alleged the sun-god. Semiramis, the added of Nimrod, was his mother. She claimed to be the queen of heaven. And she had a son who was declared to acquire been built-in on December 25th; his name was Tammuz. According to all the agnostic religions of that time, Tammuz had a amazing birth; and for centuries his altogether was acclaimed with feasts, carousal and bashed orgies. The agnostic acclaimed Tammuz altogether according to the actual archetype he set for them. He was the world's greatest lover of women, able drink, bedraggled jokes and added animal fun. It is said that he admired everybody and that everybody admired him. And it was on December 25th that all the agnostic religions acclaimed the altogether of Tammuz, the son-god. This is all acutely brought out in Alexander Hislop's abundant book, "The Two Babylon's". Any acclaimed album will aswell verify these facts. It's apparent to see, isn't it, that Christmas is a agnostic anniversary that came out of old agnostic Babylon. Christmas: A Catholic Holiday The fourth acumen I not to bless Christmas is because Christmas is a Catholic holiday. Why should I abduct Christmas from the Catholics? They got it from the pagans, and I'm adored to let them accumulate it. Notice what Album Americana has to say about Christmas and Catholicism. "Christmas - it was according to abounding authorities NOT acclaimed in the aboriginal centuries of the Christian churches as the Christian acceptance in accepted was to bless the afterlife of arresting bodies rather than their birth. A barbecue was accustomed in anamnesis of the bearing of the Saviour in the FOURTH CENTURY. In the Fifth Aeon the Western Abbey (Roman Catholic) ordered it to be acclaimed consistently on the day of the old Roman barbecue of the bearing of Sol. The holly, mistletoe, the yule log and the booze basin are of pre-Christian times. The Christmas timberline has been traced aback to the Romans. It went from Germany to Abundant Britain." Encyclopedia Britannica has this to say about Christmas: "Christmas (i.e., the Accumulation of Christ) was not a allotment of the ancient festivals of the church." After Constantine became the Emperor of Rome, he affected all the pagans of his ascendancy to be baptized into the Christian Church. Thus pagans far outnumbered accurate Christians. Since the abbey admired the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, if the 25th of December formed about and the pagans capital to adoration Tammuz, their sun-god, Constantine knew that he would acquire to do something. So he had the abbey amalgamate the adoration of Tammuz with the altogether of Christ, and a appropriate accumulation was declared to accumulate anybody happy. Thus agnostic adoration was brought into the Christian abbey and alleged "Christ-mass." Every time we say "Merry Christmas," we're in actuality bond the adored and angelic name of Christ with paganism. This is not right. God says in Ezekiel 20:39, "Pollute ye my angelic name no more." The Apple and Christmas That brings me to the next acumen not to bless Christmas. Christmas is of the world, and we're commanded, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man adulation the world, the adulation of the Father is not in him." I John 2:15 The actual actuality that the apple which hates Christ and His claret amends for sin makes added fuss about Christmas than any added anniversary proves to me that Christmas is not of God. If December 25th were absolutely the altogether of the adored Son of God, the apple would acquire annihilation to do with it! You don't acquire to be a Christian to bless Christmas. Even in non-Christian countries like Japan, Czechoslovakia and Russia the humans bless Christmas. People throughout the world, who for the a lot of allotment acquire no acquaintance of the Bible or Jesus Christ, eat up the Christmas celebration. To yield Christmas from the apple would be harder than authoritative accord in the average east. Let's face it, the apple is affiliated to the idol of Christmas. In fact, added humans get bashed at Christmas than any added time of the year. There are added big parties and added egocentric spending than any added season. The apple loves Christmas, but it hates Christ. Doesn't that prove that it's not of God? Unscriptural Traditions Another acumen not to bless Christmas is that it's abounding with unscriptural tradition. The exchanging of gifts, the Christmas tree, the singing of carols and Santa Claus are all agnostic origin. These all crept into the abbey during or afterwards the Fourth Century. There are abounding unscriptural traditions that acquire chaotic up the adventure of the bearing of our admirable Saviour. For instance, abounding humans acquire that the astute men of East and the shepherds were calm in Bethlehem at the time our Lord was born. But annihilation could be added from the truth. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see Jesus Christ at His birth. The astute men came to see Jesus Christ if He was about two years old (Matthew 2:16). Furthermore, the Bible says annihilation about three astute men, nor does it say that they were kings. The actuality is the Bible does not accord their amount at all but alone states that they were astute (magi) men. These men were accepted to acquire the adventure accounting in the stars which is why Herod the baron capital to allocution with them and acquisition out why they were traveling in his land. If he begin out they had apparent His brilliant in the blast and that it adumbrated the abundant Baron was built-in Herod bent to annihilate this new Baron and agilely asked if did they see His star. This is why Herod had all the macho accouchement two years and adolescent put to afterlife in Bethlehem. The astute men or magi as the Bible calls them had taken added again eighteen months to adapt and accomplish the connected adventure and there were abounding in the band who came to see. Thousands of parents will advise their accouchement the canard of Santa Claus. Accouchement are accomplished that Santa Claus makes his home at the North Pole, and already anniversary year he fills his sled with toys for the boys and girls who acquire been acceptable throughout the year. If they are good, he brings them toys on Christmas Eve, and if they are bad, he passes them by. Is it any admiration that abounding times if accouchement abound up and apprentice the truth, they catechism whether Christ is aswell addition Christmas allegory and all their lives admiration if heaven or hell will be their accolade for the things they acquire done. The Bible says in Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another,". We are allowable in Ephesians 4:25 to put "away lying," and to "every man allege accuracy with his neighbor." Now I apperceive that some of you admiring mothers are saying, "Don't you anticipate we should accord the accouchement a acceptable time? They don't acquire all the paganism abaft Christmas." Let's advise our accouchement the accuracy about Christmas. God's Chat says that we should accompany up accouchement up in the breeding and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Why should we abasement the name of Christ in such a address beneath the pretense of assuming the accouchement a acceptable time? There are 364 added canicule in the year during which we can accord ability to our children. Merrymaking and Exchanging Gifts Without question, the a lot of important allotment of Christmas for a lot of humans is affairs and exchanging gifts. I don't bless Christmas because exchanging ability has annihilation to do with Christ's birthday. Perhaps some of you are asking, "Didn't the astute men accord ability to Jesus?" They absolutely did, but they didn't accord them to one another. And their ability were not altogether ability because the astute men did not appear to appointment Jesus Christ until He was about two years old (Matthew 2:16). The shepherds came to appointment Jesus Christ as His birth, but the astute men came to see Him about two years later. Did you apperceive that giving ability to a baron was accepted custom in the Far East? That's the acumen why the astute men brought ability to Jesus Christ - because He was built-in to be Baron of the Jews. But they were not altogether gifts. So there is no affiliation amid Christmas and the altogether of Jesus Christ in this respect. One final chat afore abrogation the amount of exchanging gifts. Let me point out that even this is acclimated by Satan's antichrist program. The greatest allowance anniversary yet to appear will be during the abominable canicule of the tribulation. During the antichrist's administration all hell will be loose. The two assemblage who God shall forward to the humans of the apple will be asleep if God is accomplished with them. Can you assumption who will annihilate them? The antichrist will put them to death. Listen to God's Word: "And if they shall acquire accomplished their testimony, the barbarian that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall accomplish war adjoin them, and shall affected them, and annihilate them." Adumbration 11:7 It is beneath antichrist's administration that the endure and greatest allowance anniversary shall yield place. As a aftereffect of the afterlife of these prophets of God, the apple will be so captivated and captivated that they will barter ability with one another. Here is what the Bible says, "And they of the humans and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their asleep bodies three canicule and a half, and shall not ache their asleep bodies to be put in the graves. And they that abide aloft the apple shall rejoice over them, and accomplish merry, and shall forward ability one to another; because these two prophets addled them that abide on the earth." Adumbration 11:9-10 Christmas Accursed by the Puritans The agnostic history of Christmas has been able-bodied accepted throughout history. In fact, at one time the anniversary of this agnostic custom was banned by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English Puritans looked aloft the anniversary of Christmas as the plan of Satan. At one time in aboriginal American history, the acknowledgment of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the accepted cloister of Massachusetts about 1650, which appropriate that those who acclaimed Christmas were to be punished. The bronze read, "Whosoever shall be begin celebratory any such day as Christmas, or in any added way...shall be accountable to accomplished of 5 shillings." The law's conference explained its purpose was "for preventing disorders...(by) celebratory such festivals as were superstitiously kept in added countries to the abundant abasement of God and the breach of others." Afterwards the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the aboriginal December 25th was spent in activity and acid down copse "in adjustment to abstain any childishness on the day sometimes alleged Christmas." Opposition to the acknowledgment of Christmas connected just accomplished the additional bisected of the Nineteenth Century. An commodity in the December 26, 1855 copy of the New York Daily Times stated, "The churches of the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists were not accessible on December 25 except area some mission schools had a celebration. They do not acquire the day as a angelic one, but the Episcopalian, Catholic and German churches were all open. Inside they were decked with evergreens." The Puritans knew the accuracy about Christmas and admired it as a agnostic holiday. It would be acceptable if all believers followed their example. What About the Christmas Tree? Another acumen not to beam Christmas is because the Christmas timberline is accursed by the Bible. Notice: "Learn not the way of the heathen...For the community of the humans are vain: for one cutteth a timberline out of the forest, the plan of the easily of the workman, with the axe. They accouter it with argent and with gold; they adhere it with nails and with hammers, that it may not move. But they are altogether beastly and foolish: the banal is a article of vanities." Jeremiah 10:2-4,9 Here you acquire a absolute description of the Christmas tree, alleged by God "the way of the heathen." We are allowable not to apprentice that way or chase it! The Christmas timberline is aswell beheld in this access as idolatry. The fifth ballad says that these copse cannot speak-cannot walk-must be carried. Some humans misread this to accomplish it say that there is no abuse in accepting a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says at all. Rather, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that it is vanity and absurdity and says, "Learn not the way of the heathen." Some humans will be up all night to plan on an old asleep tree. They'll trim it all up and angle off a little means and adore their handiwork. Again abounding of them will sit up all night and attending at that old Christmas tree. Did you apperceive that the blooming timberline is mentioned 14 times in the Bible, and in every instance it is likened with idolatry? There isn't one abode in the Bible area God commends the use of the "green tree" in affiliation with accurate worship. Perhaps you're apprehensive why humans acquire a Christmas timberline during the Christmas celebration. You can seek the Bible through and through, but you will not acquisition a acumen for it there. The aboriginal decorating of any beloved timberline began with the agnostic Greeks and their adoration of their god Adonis, who allegedly was brought aback to activity by the serpent Aesculapius afterwards accepting been slain. And anniversary Christmas multitudes of humans will defended an beloved timberline and dress it up with ablaze glitter, lights and tinsel, not acumen that they are afterward the attitude of a agnostic anniversary in account of a apocryphal god! No agnosticism there are abounding aboveboard Christians who anticipate that they are anniversary Christ by accepting their Christmas timberline when, in reality, they are aspersing Him by accepting annihilation to do with a agnostic anniversary that God hates. As you apprehend these curve conceivably you say, "I acquire my Christmas timberline but I don't adoration it, and consequently, I see annihilation amiss with it." Let me admonish you, however, that you don't actuate what is appropriate and what is wrong. God determines what's appropriate and wrong. If the Christmas timberline is not an idol to you, why are you so abashed to accord it up? What are you accomplishing down on your knees if you abode your ability beneath it? Observing Canicule Forbidden Finally Christians should not bless Christmas because God's Chat forbids the acknowledgment of any angelic canicule in this allotment of grace. Listen: "Ye beam days, and month, and times, and years. I am abashed of you, lest I acquire bestowed aloft you labour in vain." Galatians 4:10-11 This tells us that the acknowledgment of canicule is a assurance of weakness, baby compassionate of The Accuracy and abridgement of growing up into Him. There are no appropriate angelic canicule for associates of the physique of Christ. The Lord wants us to adoration Him the aforementioned 365 canicule a year. We're not adherent a asleep Christ or a abandoned baby lying in a manger, but we're adherent a absolute active Christ who lives all year round. Sometimes well-meaning humans will accomplish the statement, "Let's put the Christ aback into Christmas." This sounds actual acceptable on the apparent however, how can you put Christ aback into something if He was never there? Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the acclaimed English preacher of the endure century, said, "We acquire no awesome attention for times and seasons. Absolutely we do not acquire in the present ecclesiastical adjustment alleged Christmas...we acquisition no scriptural chat whatever for celebratory any day as the altogether of the Saviour; and consequently, it's acknowledgment is a superstition, because (it's) not of all-powerful authority...probably the actuality is that the 'holy days' (were) abiding to fit in with the agnostic festivals...how cool to anticipate we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a ambiguous carnal Santa Claus, and a alloyed affairs of angelic accuracy with fun, deception, and faction." While the apple celebrates Christmas with its allowance swapping and parties, what should be our attitude? God's Chat makes it apparent that we should acquire annihilation to do with this agnostic holiday. Let's not accessory the bearing of the angelic Son of God with the agnostic traditions of men. Let us heed God's command; "Be ye separate, O my people." II Corinthians 6:17 Bless you now and consistently in Christ Jesus the Lord.
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